Archive of posts tagged insulation
Air Sealing For Healthy Living
Air sealing is often associated with improving the energy efficiency of heating and cooling system. But there are other even more important benefits. Many of the cracks and gaps that let outside air in a house are located at the joints in the ceiling to the attic or on the floor over the crawlspace. That […]
Remodeling with Passive House Approach
Kevin Stamm, general contractor based in San Francisco, wanted to apply many of the Passive House techniques to achieve high degree of energy efficiency when he started to renovate his home. While the project is still work in progress, he offered to pass his learnings along. He hosted a tour of his project on March […]
How Do You Know You Have Enough Insulation In Your Attic
As time goes by, insulation in the attic can settle, resulting in the degradation of insulating property (measured in R-value). To find out if you have enough insulation in your attic, use a yardstick or tape measure to record the depth of the insulation. The Department of Energy recommends insulation for Northern climates to be […]
New Eco-Friendly Products For Green Homes
I went to several conferences and seminars in the last couple of months. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are more and more eco-friendly, health and efficiency oriented products on display for green homes. Many of the products are already available on the market, and some are still under development. I like to […]
Is Your House Leaky?
Have you ever felt drafty in some rooms in your house? The draft can be coming through some hidden gaps or holes in your house. Most homes have gaps and holes in the ceiling, floors and exterior walls that let a lot of cold air into the house in the winter and warm air in […]
Century Old Home New Again
After months of detailed work, the project is finally done and the home is on the market. This home was almost gutted to the studs and reconfigured with a much better flow. It is practically a brand new 100+ years old house. Now there are three bedrooms and two and one half bathrooms with 1716 […]
Energy Measures Are All In Place
After taking most of this 100 plus year old house to the studs, the energy efficiency measures were all in place. That includes Triple-pane windows (by Kohltech), air sealing throughout the house, blown-in cellulose insulation in attic with R-80 and in walls with R-18, 15 mil heavy-duty polyurethane liners lined the crawlspace and basement. (Yes, […]
Finding Environmentally Safe Building Materials
Have you been trying to find environmentally safe and sustainable building materials for your project? In March 2014, the Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) group held a Better Envelope Solutions Showcase in San Francisco to help you find some of these materials. Their goal was to exhibit insulation and weatherization materials and products that provide […]